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kVt- 

"Should  be  read  by  every  college  and  seminary  student  in  the  country.” — 
Words  of  a prominent  minister,  formerly  a theologica  professor,  of  this 

booklet. 

My  Field  of  Labor— Where 
Does  God  Call  Me? 

BY  REV.  JOHN  D.  NUTTINO. 


“A  man  can  receive  nothing,  except  it  have  been  given  him 
from  heaven.” — John  3:27. 

“And  no  one  taketh  the  honor  unto  himself,  but  when  he  is 
called  of  God,  as  was  Aaron.” — Heb.  5:4. 

“Then  Jehovah  came  and  called,  as  at  other  times,  Samuel, 
Samuel.  Then  Samuel  said.  Speak;  for  thy  servant  heareth.” 
— I Sam.  3:10. 

“And  1 heard  the  voice  of  the  Lord,  saying.  Whom  shall  I 
send,  and  who  will  go  for  us?  Then  I said.  Here  am  I,  send 
me.  And  he  said,  Go.” — Isa.  6:8,  9. 

Every  consistent  child  of  God  listens  for  the  voice 
of  God  to  himself.  Not  fanatically,  or  merely  emotion- 
ally, but  rationally  and  Biblically,  he  believes  that  since 
his  life  is  a plan  of  God  his  heavenly  Father  will  make 
His  will  known  to  one  who  stands  waiting  to  know 
and  do  it.  He  may  need  the  interpretation  of  some 
more  experienced  Christian,  as  did  Samuel.  But  the 
message  will  surely  be  given.  It  may  call  from  the 
plough  to  the  pulpit,  or  from  unwarranted  and  self- 
centred  dreams  about  the  pulpit  back  to  the  plough  or 
ditch.  Or  his  pulpit  may  be  located  in  the  store  or 
shop  or  house,  by  the  plough  or  in  the  ditch — for  every 
Christian  is  called  to  be  a preacher  of  the  Cross,  what- 
ever his  other  work  may  be.  The  first  thing  is  to  be 
holy,  humble  and  listening.  Then  God  can  speak;  and 
when  He  is  ready  the  call  to  definite  work  will  surely 
come  to  every  soul. 

The  writer  well  recalls  how  at  his  first  recognition 
to  preach  a good  father  in  Israel  emphasized  the  view 
that  when  God  calls  one  to  preach  He  does  it  for 
life.  There  is  great  truth  in  the  idea ; but  far  more 
in  the  converse,  that  He  also  calls  many  to  specific, 
limited  times  of  Christian  work  to  meet  specific  needs 
while  their  usual  employment  may  be  secular.  The 
Kingdom  has  missed  much  because  this  has  not  been 
duly  recognized.  It  is  time  to  emphasize  the  duty  of 
lay  workers.  The  work  of  the  Mormon  young  men 
in  spreading  that  evil  system  is  a great  object-lesson 
of  what  Christian  men  from  all  walks  of  life  might 
do  in  spreading  the  Kingdom  of  Christ,  if  they  only 


2 


recognized  the  possibilities.  Every  Mormon  boy  is 
trained  to  expect  to  be  sent  “on  a mission”  for  two 
years  to  spread  Mormonism,  when  he  gets  old  enough. 
The  result  is  that  about  one  Mormon  in  every  175  is 
constantly  out  in  the  field  propagating  the  evil ; almost 
every  nook  and  corner  of  civilized  lands  has  felt  their 
influence  and  had  their  deceptive  literature,  thousands 
of  converts  are  made  every  year,  and  Mormonism  has 


Mormon  Headquarters  in  Chicago. 

Center  of  work  in  surrounding  States,  with  scores  of  men;  formerly  a Christian 
church*  bought  for  about  $19,000,  about  1905. 


far  more  than  doubled  its  numbers  in  two  decades! 
One  may  well  ask,  If  they  can  do  this  for  a wicked 
system  and  without  the  sustaining  grace  of  God  or 
power  of  Christian  motive  and  truth,  what  could  we 
not  do  with  all  these,  if  we  only  grasped  the  idea  and 
put  it  in  practice?  Seemingly  there  would  not  be  an 
unevangelized  spot  on  earth  in  ten  years,  nor  a civil- 
ized community  without  its  own  stated  worship.  “Seek 
first  the  Kingdom  of  God  and  his  righteousness”  would 
seem  to  mean  just  this— words  spoken  not  to  a select 
few  called  “the  ministry,”  but  to  every  soul  of  man, 
with  intensity  of  meaning  in  proportion  to  his  ability 
and  opportunity  to  serve.  And  even  “minister”  means 
“servant,”  and  a servant,  again,  is  one  who  is  subject 
to  the  call  of  his  master,  and  whose  business  is  to  do 
the  will  of  another;  not  his  own. 

Every  child  of  God,  then,  may  be  sure  of  a call  to 


3 

some  kind  of  service,  which  he  will  know  if  he  listens 
carefully  and  wisely.  His  is  not  to  choose  his  own 
work,  but  only  to  listen  for  and  then  follow  the  divine 
call.  It  may  be  long  in  coming;  it  may  not  be  very 
clear  at  first;  friends  may  say  it  is  a mistake,  and  that 
there  is  no  need  of  such  sacrificial  work  when  there 
are  easier  fields  waiting;  it  may  be  a despised  work, 
with  rewards  of  being  ignored  or  even  of  almost  a 
crucifixion  instead  of  applause  and  ease ; but  the  child 
of  God  who  is  really  listening  will  surely  hear  the 
voice  and  know  it — if  his  very  heart  says  to  God,  “Here 
am  I,  send  vie!”  And  if  he  does  not  say  that,  he 
is  not  worthy  to  be  called  by  the  name  of  Christ,  the 
cross-bearer,  at  all ! The  Master  faced  the  Cross  of 
all  the  ages  steadily  and  consciously  for  years,  and  never 
flinched  or  swerved  an  hair's  breadth,  but  went  straight 
onward  to  its  climax  of  scourge,  nails,  blood,  death  in 
agony — and  also  of  resurrection ; the  latter  impossible 
without  the  former,  as  much  to  us  as  to  him,  though 
in  different  ways.  The  pathway  to  spiritual  success 
is  always  marked  by  bleeding  feet.  Many  a life,  and 
many  a pastorate,  is  disgracefully  barren  because  it  has 
no  blood-marks — it  has  shunned  them.  Instead  of 
these  it  has  cast-off  garlands  of  selfish  pleasure — marks 
of  treason  instead  of  honor.  Everything  good  costs; 
seeking  first  the  kingdom  of  self  never  brought  any 
person  or  people  even  within  sight  of  the  Kingdom. 
Spiritual  accomplishment  is  always  sacrificial;  it  comes 
into  being  in  just  about  the  proportion  in  which  one’s 
very  life  is  cast  upon  the  altar  of  sacrifice,  without 
even  thought  of  ease  or  self,  but  only  of  how  best 
to  serve  God  and  obey  the  divine  Call.  If  this  takes 
one  to  darkest  Africa,  to  vilest  slums,  or  alone  to  face 
a jeering  or  icy  world  while  with  bleeding  feet  he 
pioneers  some  new  path  for  Him,  no  matter!  He  will 
give  the  strength,  if  so  be  one  follows  hand  in  hand 
with  Him ! The  sublimest  spectacles  of  history  have 
not  been  those  of  blazoned  conquerors  leading  marching 
hosts,  but  rather  the  real  heroes  such  as  these,  in  many 
an  obscure  path  of  service,  “of  whom  the  world  was 
not  worthy;”  in  whose  footsteps  we  should  esteem  it 
an  honor  to  follow  because  they  were  first  made  by 
one  wearing  a Crown  of  Thorns.  Can  any  sacrifice 
be  too  great  for  Him?  Himself  said, 

“If  any  man  would  come  after  me,  let  him  deny  himself, 
and  take  up  his  cross,  and  follow  me.  For  whosoever  would 


4 

save  his  life  shall  lose  it;  and  whosoever  shall  lose  his  life  for 
my  sake  shall  find  it.” — Matt.  16:24-5;  also  Mark  and  Luke;  five 
times  staled. 

But  the  most  consecrated  man  may  be  in  great  doubt 
as  to  what  his  particular  call  of  God  is,  both  as  to 
his  line  of  service  and  its  particular  field.  Sometimes 
he  may  seem  as  one  in  a dark,  tangled  wilderness,  from 
which  there  is  no  path  and  through  whose  densities 
even  the  voice  of  God  fails  to  penetrate  to  him.  Some- 
times he  may  seem  to  be  in  the  center  of  open  paths 
radiating  in  every  direction,  the  trouble  being  to  know 
which  one  of  the  many  God  calls  him  to  take.  How  can 
he  tell?  Which  is  the  voice  of  God,  and  which  that 
of  man,  or  of  Satan  to  mislead  and  wreck  his  life;  or 
in  the  dark  tangle  has  God  forsaken  him  entirely? 

If  he  is  truly  God’s  seeking  child,  the  latter  cannot 
by  any  possibility  be  true.  In  reality  both  are  testing- 
times  of  faith,  to  lead  to  deeper  study  and  trust,  out  of 
which  God  will  lead  him  all  the  stronger  and  more  cer- 
tainly in  due  time,  if  the  right  course  be  taken. 

Speaking  from  a somewhat  intense  experience  of 
several  decades,  both  in  his  own  affairs  and  those  of 
many  others,  the  writer  would  say  that  there  are  just 
two  generic  things  to  be  done,  as  follows; 

1.  “Be  instant  in  prayer.’’  If  a child  wishes  to  know 
his  father’s  will,  or  even  to  hear  his  voice,  the  most 
natural  thing  in  the  world  is  to  talk  to  him — to  ask 
him  for  what  he  wishes.  If  the  father  be  close  by, 
this  will  be  easy;  if  further  away,  the  obstacles  inter- 
vening must  be  overcome  by  louder  calling  or  per- 
sonal approach.  If  the  child  neglects  or  refuses  to 
speak,  he  need  not  expect  any  answer,  unless  in  upbraid- 
ing command.  So  the  Christian  must  pray,  as  the 
natural  means  of  inquiry  from  his  heavenly  Father; 
and  if  He  seem  at  a distance  he  must  clear  away  that 
one  thing  which  can  really  separate  him  from  God, 
which  is  some  cherished  sin,  of  commission  or  omission. 
Then  alone  can  he  be  in  tune  to  catch  the  still  small 
voice  of  God  when  it  comes.  A soul  out  of  harmony 
is  a soul  without  a message,  always,  left  to  its  own 
devices  and  sure  to  make  a failure  or  worse.  There 
must  be  careful  self-examination;  not  morbid,  but  gen- 
uine. All  selfishness  must  be  cut  out;  every  thought 
of  making  a “big  success”  in  the  eye  of  any  one  but 
God ; of  salary  beyond  real  necessities  as  God  sees 
them ; of  ease ; of  literary  opportunity  beyond  like 


5 

necessity  as  a means  to  the  service  required ; of  health 
beyond  like  needs;  of  friends,  congeniality,  and  a score 
of  other  possible  selfish  considerations  which  have  often 
unconsciously  stopped  the  ears  of  good  men  from  hear- 
ing the  call  of  God — all  these  must  be  cast  aside,  or 
kept  strictly  subordinate,  if  we  are  to  hear  the  call 
when  it  comes.  One  must  be  ready  to  respond  to  the 
call,  whatever  it  may  be,  without  reserve;  otherwise 
he  is  holding  back  part  of  the  price,  and  God  can  not 
speak  to  such  an  one  as  to  a faithful  child.  The  child 
who  with  stubborn  unwillingness  should  ask  his  father’s 
will  would  really  not  ask  at  all.  “If  I regard  iniquity 
in  my  heart  the  Lord  will  not  hear  me.”  The  blood- 
drops  of  sacrifice  must  mark  the  very  threshold  of 
prayer  as  well  as  the  pathway  of  acceptable  service — 
indeed,  the  pathway  begins  at  that  threshold  or  not  at 
all. 

Any  one  who  is  closely  acquainted  with  men,  even 
in  Seminaries  and  Bible  schools,  knows  that  this  spirit 
needs  constantly  to  be  emphasized,  and  knows  also  how 
sadly  true  it  is  that  some  men  seem  to  be  looking  for 
anything  but  a place  of  sacrificial  service.  A super- 
intendent of  church  missionary  work  for  many  years 
in  a very  large  field  once  told  the  writer  this  story: 
“In  a certain  Seminary  I talked  with  a young  man 
about  to  graduate.  I laid  before  him  at  length  the 
great  need  of  the  cause  of  Christ  here  for  men,  and 
how  His  work  was  suffering.  After  we  had  talked  for 

quite  a while  he  replied : “Well,  Dr.  , I expect  to 

be  married  before  long,  to  a lady  who  has  been  accus- 
tomed to  draw  and  paint  a good  deal,  and  I must  have 
a field  suited  to  her  artistic  tastes” — and  that  was 
the  end  of  the  matter ! More  than  one  man  has  ad- 
vanced views  hardly  less  painful,  to  the  writer — show- 
ing that  his  personal  desires,  instead  of  God’s  will,  were 
the  deciding  factor;  viewing  the  ministry  as  a pro- 
fession to  be  chosen  instead  of  a calling  from  God  to 
be  followed,  even  with  bleeding  feet ! How  can  God’s 
call  reach  one  who  thus  bars  it  out  by  a selfish  test; 
or  of  what  use  would  it  be  if  it  did?  In  what  sense 
can  such  an  one  be  said  to  be  really  a servant  of  God 
at  all,  unless  these  choices  are  unconsciously  so  domi- 
nated? Is  it  not  of  such  material  that  unworthy  men 
in  the  ministry  are  always  made?  Is  not  absolute  sur- 
render of  self  the  very  first  condition  of  even  disciple- 


6 

ship,  not  to  speak  of  the  sacred  work  of  the  ministry? 
And  if  such  motives  were  eliminated,  would  the  neediest 
fields  so  often  go  begging  while  the  easier  ones  have 
plenty  of  applicants?  Is  not  this  really  the  sore  spot 
in  the  whole  matter  of  ministerial  supply?  Suppose 
every  young  man  and  woman  in  all  our  colleges  and 
seminaries  today  should  resolve,  “By  the  grace  of  God 
I am  going  to  the  neediest  field  I can  find  and  fill,  un- 
less providentally  prevented  or  called  elsewhere would 
not  all  fields  soon  be  filled,  and  the  work  of  the  King- 
dom receive  an  impetus  such  as  it  has  never  before 
known?  Such  is  the  spirit  which  is  at  once  the  cause 
and  result  of  true  prayer.  It  does  not  say,  “Here  am 
I,  send  me  if  you  have  a nice,  easy  place  for  me  and 
my  wife,  with  a good  salary,”  but  “Here  am  I,  Lord, 
send  me  ANYWHERE  and  to  do  ANYTHING  that 
Thou  dost  wish;  only  that  Thou  dost  go  too!” 

But  prayer  is  not  all.  God  usually  works  by  means ; 
and  the  writer’s  experience  with  men  has  been  that 
those  who  relied  upon  mere  “impressions”  received  in 
prayer,  without  other  grounds,  were  least  dependable ; 
because  some  other  influence  would  soon  lead  them  to 
feel  differently.  God  does  not  reveal  himself  contra- 
dictorily. He  has  given  us  the  facts  which  should 
shape  our  action,  which  we  may  suppose  also  shape  his 
choice  for  us;  and  with  them  also  a judgment  to  find 
them  out  and  reason  about  them.  Prayer  should  be 
chiefly  for  help  in  doing  these  things;  not  for  direct 
impressions  of  duty  without  this  process.  Hence  the 
second  necessity  is  this : 

2.  Be  prayerfully  earnest  in  studying  and  weighing 
the  facts  of  the  case. 

First,  one  needs  to  rightly  estimate  his  own  abil- 
ities and  weaknesses — what  he  can  naturally  count 
on  and  what  he  must  guard  especially  against.  God 
never  sets  a pigmy  to  lift  a mountain,  unless  He  wishes 
to  work  a miracle ; he  usually  adapts  means  to  ends, 
and  we  must  plan  on  this  basis.  As  a merchant  must 
"take  stock”  before  beginning  a year’s  business,  so  must 
the  Christian  before  deciding  his  future  work.  This 
is  a difficult  process;  the  more  so  because  life  choices 
must  usually  be  made  before  one  has  demonstrated 
very  much,  even  to  himself,  what  gifts  God  has  given 
him.  Conceit  does  not  imply  power,  nor  does  undue 
modesty  necessarily  imply  weakness.  The  estimate  of 


7 

wise  friends  may  be  helpful;  also  past  experience  in 
different  lines.  Indeed,  after  much  experience  with 
men  the  writer  has  about  reached  the  conclusion,  that 
this  method  of  actual  testing  oneself  in  the  work  con- 
templated, under  the  best  possible  supervision,  is  the 
only  really  reliable  criterion.  Sometimes  it  is  possible 
to  make  such  trial  of  work  without  actual,  final  com- 
mitment to  it.  Such  earnest  effort  will  be  likely  to 
reveal  both  powers  and  deficiencies  as  nothing  else 
can ; and  if  continued  long  enough  will  also  show  some 
what  about  the  prospect  of  remedying  the  latter. 
Such  experiment  would  have  prevented  many  a mis- 
mating  of  man  and  work,  both  in  and  out  of  the  min- 
istry. Pastors  should  watch  for  souls  for  the  Mas- 
ter’s work,  gjving  them  such  tasks  as  may  he  feasible 
for  both  testing  and  development.  Here  again  we  may 
learn  from  the  Mormon  proselyting  system.  Prob- 
ably no  religious  organization  can  show  a greater  pro- 
portion of  laymen  who  can  speak  in  public  and  do 
religious  work  after  its  fashion,  however  poor  or  wicked 
that  may  be.  And  this  is  simply  because  every  boy  or 
man  is  brought  up  to  take  his  part,  and  to  consider  him- 
self at  least  a cog  in  the  religious  machine  which  is  to 
conquer  the  world.  Beginning  in  the  monthly,  fast- 
day  “testimony”  sessions  of  his  primary  S.  S.  class,  by 
telling  that  he  “has  a testimony  (revelation  from  God) 
that  Joseph  Smith  was  a true  prophet  of  God,”  going 
on  through  “ordination”  as  a “deacon”  at  12  years  and 
“elder”  at  perhaps  17,  he  is  then  liable  to  be  called  on 
at  any  service  to  take  the  stand  and  “speak,”  and  to  be 
sent  out  “on  a mission”  without  salary,  to  propagate 
his  system  against  the  world.  All  his  Sunday-school  and 
other  training  has  such  work  in  view,  whatever  his 
daily  occupation  may  be.  But  among  us  what  do  we 
find?  Perhaps  hardly  one  in  twenty  of  our  Christian 
boys  is  brought  up  to  think  of  himself  as  either  now  or 
in  future  having  any  part  in  public  Christian  work; 
that  is  all  for  the  “minister,”  and  perhaps  the  deacons, 
or  such.  The  extent  of  his  experience  is  that  he  is 
urged  to  some  private  personal  work,  or  to  usher,  etc. 
And  our  girls  are  also  too  little  taught  to  look  forward 
to  definite  Christian  service.  Surely  all  this  is  a well- 
nigh  fatal  mistake,  and  a tremendous  waste  of  power. 
Surely  every  converted  soul  should  have  the  universal 
call  to  work  laid  upon  him,  and  should  be  trained 


8 

sufficiently  for  ordinary  kinds  of  service.  And  especially 
should  young  people  in  high-school  and  college  be  urged 
and  trained  thus.  Why  should  they  not  feel  that  their 
life  work  is  to  be  decided  by  God’s  call  instead  of  by 
caprice  or  money,  in  secular  almost  as  much  as  in 
sacred  service ; that  whatever  they  do  they  are  to  “seek 
first  the  Kingdom  of  God”  in  it ; and  that  every 
Christian  young  person  of  ability  should  consider  care- 
fully whether  God  does  not  call  him  to  at  least  a period 
of  distinctively  religious  work?  It  seems  to  the  writer 
that  this  last  should  be  especially  true  of  young  men  in 
college. 

The  study  of  the  various  fields  of  labor  is  also  im- 
portant; town  or  country,  home  or  foreign,  generically; 
as  well  as  any  particular  opening  which  may  come,  in 
the  providence  of  God. 

But  after  all  these  are  done;  if  no  distinctive  voice 
of  the  Spirit  seems  clearly  imperative  to  one’s  own 
heart,  what  then?  Just  persist  in  the  same  process; 
keep  on  praying,  keep  on  weighing  the  many  calls  of 
fields  as  to  opportunity  for  doing  what  is  most  needed 
for  the  souls  of  men.  There  are  two  divisions  in  this 
matter  of  need,  also;  one  the  need  for  the  work  itself, 
the  other  the  difficulty  in  finding  men  to  do  it.  Of 
two  fields  having  equal  call  in  themselves,  the  one 
most  difficult  to  fill  has  this  added  call,  to  any  one 
who  is  situated  so  that  he  can  go. 

In  all  this  process  the  subtlest  danger  is  that  some 
unconscious  selfish  motive  may  vitiate  the  whole. 

With  the  above  considerations  in  mind,  which  apply 
equally  with  reference  to  all  fields,  the  writer  wishes 
to  speak  briefly  about  the  field  in  which  he  is  called 
to  labor ; and  in  which  he  believes  that  more  men 
should  also  hear  the  call  of  God. 

The  facts  about  the  Utah  work  are  briefly  these:  We 
face  a gigantic  and  practically  pagan  system,  which  is 
working  tremendously  to  spread  itself  over  the  world, 
and  which  must  be  overcome  and  its  victims  delivered 
and  converted  to  Christ.  This  system  controls  a 
region  equal  in  size  to  three  states  like  Ohio  and  of 
vast  resources ; it  has  about  525  settlements,  of  which 
over  four  hundred  have  no  local  Christian  work  at  all ; 
its  doctrines  constitute  practically  a sex-paganism,  in- 
cluding belief  in  many  gods  of  flesh  and  bones,  many 
of  whom  are  in  polygamy  and  whose  chief  glory  is  to 


9 

propagate  (see  tracts),  denying  or  falsifying  every 
great  truth  of  the  Bible  and  thus  endangering  the  very 
foundations  of  morality,  religion  and  the  home  wher- 
ever accepted.  Mormons  cannot  even  be  touched  in 
any  large  measure  by  ordinary  methods  of  work,  but 
can  nearly  all  be  reached  by  our  special  ones.  Their 
workers  are  principally  young  men,  trained  as  already 
shown,  who  go  out  for  two  years  at  their  own  lookout 
for  expenses;  and  our  bright,  consecrated  young  men 
can  do  a great  work  for  them  on  similar  terms;  and 
besides  this  in  the  West,  there  is  very  much  to  be  done 
outside  of  the  Utah  region. 

This  work  must  of  necessity  be  unsectarian  and 
highly  specialized.  To  do  it  the  Utah  Gospel  Mission 
was  organized  at  Cleveland,  beginning  field  work  in 
June,  1901.  Its  methods  are  closely  adapted  to  the 
very  peculiar  work  to  be  done.  The  men  live  in  great 
gospel  wagons,  each  the  home  for  three  workers,  fitted 
up  for  reasonable  comfort  the  year  round,  as  the  men 


inside  of  Wagon  3, 

Showing  stove,  cupboard,  table,  seats  (lockers)  beds  closed,  etc. 


travel  from  place  to  place.  They  visit  every  home, 
spending  half  an  hour  or  so  at  each  in  personal  work, 
explaining  the  literature  to  be  left  and  the  great  Bible 
truths.  Meetings  are  held  as  may  be  feasible,  out- 
doors in  summer  and  wherever  possible  in  winter. 
The  work  involves  self-denial,  but  by  no  means  as 
much  as  many  endure  for  money,  or  as  Mormon  emis- 
saries sometimes  undergo  in  their  work ; and  it  is 


IO 

both  very  interesting  and  absolutely  necessary  if  we 
are  to  reach  this  people  at  all.  As  they  send  their 
men  out  without  salary,  we  must  meet  them  on  their 
own  ground  in  this  or  suffer  great  hindrance  (see 
our  tract  Special  Difficulties)  ; hence  only  necessary 
expenses  are  guaranteed,  including  clothing,  R.  R.  fares 
and  all.  But  there  are  many  men  who  could  give  two 
or  more  years  on  these  terms  with  even  very  great 
advantage  to  themselves,  besides  doing  the  work  which 
is  so  urgently  needed ; while  many  more  could  give 
one  year  each. 

Some  of  the  reasons  for  undertaking  this  work  are 
these : 

First.  An  almost  unequalled  chance  to  preach  the 
gospel  to  a great  and  strategic  mass  of  otherwise  un- 
reached people,  whose  propagandist  activity  makes 


One  of  the  Destitute  Villages 

About  350  people,  all  Mormons,  settled  over  50  years;  no  local  Christian  work. 


them  perhaps  ten  times  as  important  as  their  numbers 
would  otherwise  be;  and  they  number  about  350,000  now. 
Of  alf  these  thousands  of  people,  probably  not  more 
than  one  in  fifty  is  ever  seen  in  a Christian  service, 
aside  from  our  meetings;  and  practically  the  only 
chance  of  the  others  for  direct  Christian  teaching  is 
from  our  work,  since  they  will  not  attend  church  ser- 
vices even  where  they  might.  A faithful  man  with  us 
can  visit  from  2,000  to  3,000  homes  in  a year,  con- 
taining from  12,000  to  18,000  people;  and  the  meetings 
held  will  reach  about  the  same  number  again. 

2.  Fulfilling  the  last  command  of  Christ  as  regards 


these  people,  which  cannot  be  practically  done  by  any 
other  known  method,  while  the  command  applies  to 
them  as  much  as  to  any  other  people. 


The  Children  in  the  Village  Opposite. 

All  Mormons,  trained  in  their  awful  doctrines  and  no  chance  to  learn  better  except  through  our  work.  Unusually  bright  group. 


12 


Wagons  and  Workers  Camped 
While  working  at  Weston.  Idaho,  July,  1906. 

These  two  points  can  hardly  be  emphasized  too 
much.  Those  which  follow  are  more  of  a personal 
character,  but  still  very  important. 

3.  This  work  offers  an  opportunity  to  test  one’s  self 
in  earnest  Christian  work  requiring  the  gifts  of  the 
ministry,  before  making  the  decision  for  life.  Prob- 
ably no  work  affords  a better  chance  in  this  line,  and 
we  know  of  none  as  good.  In  personal  work;  preach- 
ing; management  of  business  affairs;  economy  of  time, 
strength  and  money;  mechanical  resource;  acquaint- 
ance with  human  nature ; study  of  practical  apologetics 
and  religious  frauds,  and  practically  everything  which 
a pastor  needs  to  be  able  to  do,  the  opportunity  here 
is  great.  This  is  of  special  importance  to  college  men 
and  others  whose  life  call  is  not  yet  clear  to  them. 

4.  Getting  in  touch  with  humanity  in  its  concrete, 
common-denominator  form  is  of  exceedingly  great 
importance  to  most  graduates.  Many  a man  gets  so 
out  of  touch  with  ordinary  humanity  by  his  long  course 
of  book-study  that  he  needs  most  of  all  to  get  back 
again  by  the  quickest  possible  route.  Many  a minister 
who  does  not  do  this  spends  years  of  labor  in  almost 
useless  firing  over  or  under  or  to  one  side  or  the  other 
of  his  human  marks  instead  of  right  at  their  hearts, 
and  so  makes  a measurable  failure  of  his  work  with- 
out knowing  why.  Let  him  come  and  spend  several 
hours  a day  for  a year  or  two  in  dealing  with  people 


<3 


personally  about  their  deepest  religious  experiences, 
testing  this  and  that  method  of  approach  and  argument 
and  persuasion,  and  he  will  agree  that  as  a school  of 
human  nature  in  divine  things,  and  of  methods,  it 
would  be  hard  to  imagine  a work  more  useful.  Then 
let  him  back  this  up  by  some  of  our  stirring  meetings, 
when  we  must  remain  for  perhaps  hours  afterwards 
to  settle  the  fact  that  we  do  know  a little  Bible  truth 


Wagons  and  Workers,  June, 


14 

with  seme  “elders”  who  think  they  know  all  there  is 
while  they  know  almost  nothing,  and  the  demonstra- 
tion will  be  complete.  One  cannot  bring  men  to  God 
unless  he  knows  men.  Perhaps  the  greatest  failure 
of  the  ministry  to-day  is  generally  felt  to  be  just  here; 
constantly  making  the  impression  of  theorists  instead 
of  practical  men  of  affairs,  spiritual  and  temporal ; 
too  little  practical  knowledge  of  men  and  things. 
When  a medical  student  graduates  from  his  school, 
even  though  he  has  seen  clinical  work  a good  deal,  he 
considers  it  of  highest  importance  that  he  get  the 
added  hospital  or  similar  practical  experience  at  the 
earliest  possible  moment.  So  it  should  be  with  min- 
isters who  have  not  had  such  experience  already. 
Ar.d  while  the  work  of  the  Mission  affords  almost 
unrivalled  opportunities  in  this  line,  the  worker  is  all 
the  time  doing  more  good  than  he  may  ever  have  a 
chance  to  do  afterwards  in  an  equal  time.  And  if  one 
can  have  this  experience  before  his  seminary  studies 
it  will  also  add  much  to  their  practical  value. 

5.  Getting  an  intensely  practical  knowledge  of  the 
great  truths  of  Christianity.  Hourly  our  worker  is 
using  these  and  bringing  forth  their  logical  and  Biblical 
bases ; he  canot  be  ignorant  of  them,  and  his  knowl- 
edge must  be  of  the  concrete,  practical  kind.  Hourly 
they  are  objected  to,  denied,  scoffed  at  and  ridiculed; 
and  the  greatest  need  of  people  is  that  these  truths 
be  so  presented  and  defended  that  they  will  he  accepted 
in  place  of  the  terrible  Mormon  doctrines,  and  will 
lead  to  true  conversion  and  Christian  character.  The 
writer  knows  of  no  work  which  even  approaches  this 
in  such  value  to  the  worker.  Not  one  theological 
graduate  in  dozens  will  be  as  familiar  with  them  as 
any  of  our  men  will  be  on  entering  Seminary. 

6.  It  is  of  exceeding  importance  that  every  pastor 
have  a practical  knowledge  of  the  representative  re- 
ligious fraud  of  to-day.  Not  only  will  he  probably 
have  occasion  to  meet  it  in  his  parish,  but  such  frauds 
constitute  one  of  the  great  methods  of  the  Adversary 
against  Christianity,  and  should  receive  far  more 
attention  than  is  usually  given  them.  Mormonism  is 
the  type  of  almost  all  these.  It  is  also  a type  of  all 
pagan  systems,  and  will  give  the  worker  a fine  glimpse 
of  how  non-Christian  peoples  look  at  things  and  of 
the  effect  of  paganism;  being  thus  perhaps  as  useful 
to  one  who  expects  to  enter  foreign  work  as  to  the 
home  laborer. 


Incidentally,  the  work  will  be  helpful  through 
the  travel  had,  knowledge  of  our  country,  scenery,  les- 
sons in  economy  of  money  and  time,  friendships  formed 
with  other  workers,  and  usually  in  increase  of  health 
and  stamina  by  the  constant  outdoor  life. 

8.  The  scarcity  of  men  for  this  U'ork.  Up  to  date 
of  this  writing,  (early  in  1910)  we  have  seldom  had 
enough  workers  and  only  once  more  than  enough. 
Several  times  one  wagon  has  stood  idle  for  lack  of 


Two  Wagons  Going  Through  Brigham  Canyon,  1901. 

men,  though  the  people  were  in  perishing  need  of  its 
work  and  must  consequently  go  without  any  gospel 
message  from  without  for  two  or  more  years,  till  we 
could  come  around  again.  Men  with  young  children 
cannot  rightly  go;  and  the  same  is  true  of  those  who 
must  provide  support  for  parents  or  other  persons  de- 
pending upon  them.  Some  are  not  physically  able. 
Others  lack  the  consecration ; others  are  already 
pledged  to  work  before  they  learn  of  this.  Some 
graduate  so  late  in  life  that  they  ought  hardly  to  take 
the  time,  though  many  a mature  man  would  gain  time 
instead  of  losing  by  taking  a year  with  us.  But  there 
are  thousands  of  other  men  who  are  able  in  every 
way  to  take  up  the  work  for  two  years,  or  at  least 
for  one,  on  the  conditions  already  given.  They  are 
found  in  seminaries,  colleges,  Bible  schools,  among 
providentially  foot-loose  pastors,  and  elsewhere. 
UPON  THESE  WHO  CAN  RIGHTLY  GO  MUST 
THE  RESPONSIBILITY  FOR  THIS  GREAT 
WORK  REST. 


i6 


These  last  pages  are  written  in  the  hope  that  they 
may  be  used  of  God  to  send  the  Utah  call  home  to 
many  earnest  souls.  We  are  not  asking  men  to  give 
a lifetime  to  this  work  without  support  beyond  ex- 
penses, though  some  could  well  give  many  years ; but 
that  enough  men  to  meet  the  need,  will  lend  themselves 
to  the  work  for  two  years  each,  or  even  for  one.  We 
see  no  reason  why  many  times  the  number  we  can  use 
should  not  be  ready  and  glad  to  do  this.  Instead  of 
looking  upon  this  work  as  too  great  a sacrifice,  as 
many  have  seemed  to  do,  it  should  be  looked  upon  as 
a VERY  GREAT  CHANCE,  hardly  ever  equalled, 
both  to  preach  the  gospel  to  needy  masses  occupying 
a strategic  position  and  at  the  same  time  to  increase 
one’s  power  for  usefulness  in  the  permanent  work  to 
which  he  may  be  called  later.  Will  not  every  reader 
whose  work  is  not  already  clearly  settled  for  him, 
make  this  work  a subject  of  earnest  prayer  and  careful 
study,  and  help  in  it  if  the  way  is  open? 

The  qualifications  needed  are  specified  in  the  small 
print  item  below.  The  Mission  will  be  glad  to  cor- 
respond with  any  one  who  can  approximate  these  re- 
quirements and  is  free  to  go,  not  excluding  those 
hindered  by  moderate  school  debts;  also  to  have  the 
names  of  suitable  men  suggested.  Address 

THE  UTAH  GOSPEL  MISSION, 

1854  E.  81st  St.,  Cleveland,  O. 

Cleveland,  Feb.,  1910 


MISSION  WORKERS  WANTED. 

We  are  often  short  of  workers,  and  are  always  glad  to  learn 
of  suitable  men  who  can  go.  To  succeed  one  must  have  ja'r 
health  ability,  education  and  knowledge  of  Bible  truths,  joined 
with  devoted  love  for  God  and  for  souls,  a comic  .on  of  duty  in 
this  field  unselfish  perseverance,  and  reasonable  adaptability. 
He  should  also  be  able  to  sing  gospel  hymns  with  oUiers, 
need  some  men  who  can  play  these;  while  if  one  15  The  best  gi^s 
-inrl  has  mechanical  resource  so  much  the  better.  1 tie  Dest  guts 
in  preaching  and  personal  work  will  find  full  play,  while  lesser 
ones  arc  not  excluded,  and  the  work  affords  invaluable  oppor- 
tunities for  the  cultivation  and  growth  of  all  one  s pfu  by 
practical  experience,  while  helping  meet  one  of  the  greatest 
eosnel  needs  m be  found  anywhere.  Persons  who  are  fairly 
qualified  as  above  and  who  can  give  at  least  one  year  0 
work  with  support  to  cover  only  Ins  entire  expenses  (including 
k R.)  arc  invited  to  write  at  once  to  the  Utah  Gospel  Mission, 
icra  E 81st  St.,  Cleveland,  giving  full  particulars  and  ref  r* 
enccs.  The  term  of  service  commonly  begins  late  in  June,  but 
vacancies  are  filled  at  almost  any  tune. 

Send  to  us  for  best  literature  on  Mormonism  Samples  10  cents, 
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